It is basically a two-day trip getting back from Europe. First there was a feeder flight on Austria airlines (all they play on the airplane sound system is Viennese waltzes and Mozart), then the long, long eleven hour flight to Mexico City. Frankfurt airport is quite big and I found a place to have some lunch between flights. Pretty good food and the prices were reasonable:
I went through the security check in the tiny Salzburg airport so didn't have to do it again in Frankfurt. A very nice Lufthansa lady gave me an upgrade to what they call "premium economy" which is supposedly more legroom, more refreshments and better meals. Can't testify to the legroom because she also gave me a seat at the emergency exit, so there is no seat immediately in front. The meals were good, though.
It was around 7:30 pm before I got through immigration and baggage pickup in Mexico City and as that was plus seven hours for me, i.e. 2:30 in the morning, I just couldn't face a three hour bus ride. So I headed for my usual hotel, the Courtyard Marriot. I was in a different end of the terminal and got some very bad directions so I went the wrong way and ended up in front of the Camino Real hotel at the other end of the terminal. I had never stayed there and couldn't face the long walk back so I took a room. Big mistake! Public service announcement: do not stay at the Mexico City airport Camino Real. It is very expensive and the breakfast is a joke. Haphazard and confused management and stodgy design. The rooms are ok. The Courtyard Marriot is much cheaper and much better with a terrific breakfast buffet. You're welcome!
Here is something I learned on this trip to Europe that would have helped me out at the airport finding the hotel: use the map function on your smartphone to give walking instructions when you are in strange cities! For some reason I never tried that before, but it works pretty good. That's how I found the wineshop and how I found my hotel in Salzburg one day after taking a wrong turn. Now I'm sure everyone reading this already does this as I came late to the iPhone, but if you haven't used it, it works great.
Let's see, when I left they were just premiering their production of Oedipe by George Enescu, a piece I am completely unfamiliar with. This is the prelude and act one from a different production:
If I go again to the festival, and I well may, I think I would try to attend all the operas as that seems to be where the most creative energy is directed. This year they put on nine operas in one month, nearly all of them new productions (possibly all? anyone know?). Wow!
4 comments:
Noticed yesterday that the Lucerne Festival, e.g., is almost all orchestral works (some chamber music events), the Valle d'Itria is almost always obscure operas, Verbier does recitals more than grand productions etc etc. I'm sure that the people who follow the festival circuit know what sorts of music to expect from which festivals.
Next year being Salzburg's 100th anniversary I expect an... exuberant season.
Yes, the focus on Salzburg these days seems to be operas and they seem to be doing a great job.
Idomeneo, Simon Boccanegra, Orphée, Oedipe, Médée are new. Alcina and Salome are revivals (Alcina from the Pentecost Festival earlier in the year: evidently they have a different management etc so it doesn't 'count' as new). Adriana Lecouvreur and Luisa Miller are/were performed in concert, not staged.
Still, where else would you find that many new productions over the course of just one month?
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